


I'm Not Mad

by iamajdandagreaser



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 12:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10742130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamajdandagreaser/pseuds/iamajdandagreaser
Summary: Barry wants to understand the man behind the blue domino mask. But his visit to Iron Heights doesn't go quite the way he planned.





	I'm Not Mad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CatKidJen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatKidJen/gifts).



> I wrote this for a friend who kind of demanded/requested/dared me to write it. Jennie, I hope I do you and your odd obsession with Axel Walker and anything Trickster related proud.

Ever since the Trickster had piled into his life and attention with a bunch of mini bombs and a shockingly loud outfit, Barry had found himself intrigued by the young man with the big ideas, bigger personality, and an even bigger bomb. 

Then the whole thing had hit with the bomb attached to his wrist and his dad maybe being kidnapped and Iris being poisoned, and whatever goodwill or sympathy the speedster had felt for the copy-cat mayhem maker had vanished with the bang of the bomb that Barry had phased off his wrist. 

But now that things had settled down and both Axel and his dad were back in Iron Heights ("Where they belong", was the general consensus), Barry found himself thinking about the junior chaos causer (also, the alliteration he kept using inside his brain was getting old) every so often. 

Barry had no idea what it was that suddenly made him decide to go and see Axel in Iron Heights. He shrugged awkwardly into the visiting area and settled himself in front one of the glass windows. 

When Axel shuffled out, looking just as awkward as Barry was feeling, the speedster tried to reassure him with a friendly smile. 

"Hi," he said. "I'm Barry Allen, I'm a CSI with the CCPD and you kidnapped my dad."

Damn. Not his best line. Not at all. 

Axel looked like he kind of wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole or in chunks. He didn't care. Just as long as he vanished. 

"Yeah?" he managed to get out. 

Barry mentally kicked himself black and blue before continuing to plunge himself deeper into the abyss that was being socially awkward 

"I'm not mad," he said, before slamming his mental foot into his mental shins and resisting the urge to say "Ouch" out loud. "I, uh, just wanted to see how you're doing?"

The statement came out more like a question than a statement. Axel raised an eyebrow, and Barry could suddenly see the Trickster underneath. 

"I don't need or want a shrink," he said. "Especially one that looks like he's twelve."

Barry gave a tight lipped smile to the dirty plastic countertop. "I'm not a shrink," he said. "I came on my own." Suddenly, he didn't feel confident anymore. 

"Then why'd you come?" Axel queried. 

Excellent question, Barry wanted to say. I don't know myself, and so I'm going to leave now. But he didn't. 

"I know you're not like your father," he began. "You wanted that figure in your life. That's why he was able to get inside your head. I just want you to know that I don't think you're a bad person. I don't blame you for any of that. Yeah, it was stupid, and yeah, you still messed up, but that doesn't define who you are inside."

Axel blinked at him. 

Barry blinked back and continued to kick his brain, throwing in some punches for extra measure. 

And then Axel smiled, a crooked grin that was more of a smirk than anything. 

"Thanks," he said, and while the tone was light, Barry could tell he was sincere. 

"Yeah," Barry said (Because that was such an intelligent response, Allen, screamed the little annoying voice in his now black and blue imagination). 

Axel stood to go. "By the way," he said, leaning back down to grab the phone again. "I know your secret."

"What?" Barry said, feeling his mouth go dry. 

"You do good work," Axel said, his smirk growing. "It's good to have a hero running around."

"No, no, that's not me," Barry tried to protest, but the Trickster cut him off. 

"Your dad didn't care about the cops. All he cared about was the Flash. He wasn't talking about his cop son. He was talking about the Flash, who then showed up to bust us with the intention of finding Henry Allen, the cop's dad. It was just putting two and two together." 

Barry gaped at him. Axel winked through the fingerprint covered glass. 

"I won't tell anyone," he whispered into the phone. "As long as you promise to come back and see me sometime."

Barry would have agreed to anything at that point. He frantically nodded, and then watched Axel disappear back through the door he came through. 

That kid was an enigma, he thought to himself. As shaken as he was about the sudden revelation, he also was surprised to find that he wasn't worried about his secret getting out. 

Barry turned to make his own exit, a smile on his face. The first of many visits had been an experience and Barry already found himself kind of looking forward to the next time.


End file.
